Strange Things In My Head
by Songofthewind
Summary: A Tok'ra agent returning from a mission started six years before contact with the Tau'ri crash lands on Earth, and his host is dying. He finds a new host on chance meeting, but the complications of public life become enormous...Weekly updates pending.
1. Final Mission

INITIAL DISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership of Stargate SG-1 or any references thereof. The original characters of Daelan, Andurek, and Ellen Caldwell and the situations portrayed in this work are, however, of my own invention and may not be used without my express permission. Many thanks to the owners of Stargate SG-1 for allowing fanfiction.

Any resemblence to real people, events, or ideas beyond those of the Stargate continuum are unintentional.

**A brief note from the author: This is the first serious fan fiction I have ever endeavored to write, so for those of you with more experience in the field, critique and commentary is appreciated. Thank you for reading - and now...For Our Feature Presentation.**

**CHAPTER ONE: FINAL MISSION**

As the Goa'uld mothership exploded behind him, Daelan could see the glinting death gliders regrouping for an attack of even greater fury. His small and extremely damaged craft was a cat without claws against the oncoming attack with the weapons systems offline and normal space engines limping badly.

_**So, Andurek**,_ he muttered silently to his host, **_how are we going to maneuver out of this one?_**

"Call for help." His host growled, swerving the craft and hitting a few buttons. A flash of golden energy lit up the inside of the cockpit for a split second.

_**We don't have enough energy to send out a strong signal.**_

_Splendid_, he answered with an audible sigh,_Let's try a jump._

_**The navigation systems are out, but it's better than sitting here and getting fried. All right.**_

He dodged several more close shots from the gliders and took a deep breath.

_**Here we go!**_

They jumped. With so many things malfunctioning, he wasn't even sure where to, but anywhere was better than here. The bright flashes of hyperspace nearly blinded him, and he squinted. As Andurek's adrenaline left his system, Daelan let him collapse limply against the seat.

"Let's take a look at that burn, now." He said, almost smiling. They had made it! They had assumed it would be a suicide mission, but by a strange twist of fate, here they were.

_Of course,_ Andurek reminded him,_you don't know where we might materialize at the end of the jump, so we're not quite off the eggs yet._ Daelan mentally rolled his eyes at the odd expression. He had long since gotten used to them, having had Andurek as a host for nearly thirty years. He quickly busied himself with caring for the shallow staff burn on Andurek's left shoulder. It was pretty nasty, and he was already worn out from fighting their way into the cargo bay.

**-Å-**

They came out of the field with a jerk, sending Andurek crashing to the floor. Daelan picked him up and sat down in the seat again, checking the controls.

_**Well, we certainly jumped, my friend. Of course, there's no telling where we are...**_

_These engines aren't going to hold steady much longer. That jump took a lot out of them - Oh no._

Alarms went off at the controls as the systems started overheating. Daelan brought them in closer to the planet, scanning for the best place to land, although they didn't have much choice at the rate they were descending.

The heat inside the vessel was reaching critical levels. He had to land _now_. As he came closer and closer to the surface, he guided the small craft to a wide, rocky area jutting out into a river. As soon as the ship touched down he was standing and then leaping for the exit. Daelan gave Andurek one last burst of energy and he sped into the trees as the craft exploded into the river. He dove to the ground as bits of metal flew overhead. After a moment of stillness, he picked himself up and sagged against a tree, gasping.

_That will have attracted some attention. Who knows whether this planet is hostile or not._ Andurek grumbled. Daelan agreed.

_**I need to fix you up first, though. I've got it numbed already.**_

_Got what numbed?_Andurek could feel his symbiote's amusement in the back of his mind.

_**Exactly. Some shrapnel caught you in the leg and in the side. You're bleeding pretty badly. And I never did finish properly with your shoulder...**_

_No time. We need to get out of here._

_**Andy, you idiot! Stop running! I really don't want to have to knock you out!**_

No response. Their tired limbs kept going, nearly staggering now as the blood leaked from Andurek's leg and side. Daelan let him feel the pain then, hoping it would stop him. But his host had always had a stubborn streak. They worked well together, though, and Daelan was starting to worry that his friend was more severely injured than he was aware of. Somewhat alarmed, he attempted to at least staunch the flow of blood in the worst areas, but the gashes were long and deep. He could see blood on the bushes every time Andurek stumbled, but the man was unwilling to stop or even slow his pace. He was quite sure he had heard people behind them a while back and was in a dazed sort of determination to get away, although he wasn't being clear as where they were going.

Then he could hear voices.

_**Andy! Stop! There are people ahead! Please, let me see what I can do...**_

No - this could not be happening. Andurek's body chose that moment to have a violent allergic reaction to something in the air, and finally collapsed. Daelan fought down panic as he tried to find the cause. His host's airways were closing up, but he was too busy trying to keep his heart steady at the moment to do anything about it. Andurek's 'voice' was fragmented by panic as he mentally hollered to his symbiote.

_I'm not supposed to have allergic reactions! You're supposed to prevent this sort of thing!_

_**I've never encountered this one before! I don't know what's wrong!** _Daelan yelled back. There, his heart was stable, if not steady, but his respiratory system was currently demonstrating what it was like to be subjugated to the mercies of a boa constrictor underwater. At last that was solved as well, and they simply lay in the scrub, gasping painfully. All the thrashing during the attack had opened wider both wounds and added several scratches and a good bruise to the collection. Sluggishly, Daelan realized that he needed to do something before Andurek bled to death, but he was so exhausted. They were both worn down, and things just kept piling up. Andurek's head rolled back onto the ground with a weak grunt, and he resorted to speaking out loud to Daelan, something he had always been more comfortable with than silence.

"I think...Dael...that we just might not make it. I mean...we've been injured like this before, but you were always in good shape to take care of it, and we always had somewhere to go."

"But we never before were on a suicide mission, my friend. We weren't expected to survive and we didn't expect to survive. We may have saved many other lives, but there was no planned way out, no contact to spring us in the end."

"Why did we ever take that mission in the first place?"

"Saroosh."

"Ah yes. She talked you into it."

"You mean, she talked _you_ into it. I'm not at all sure Selmak was involved in the least."

"You know I can't say no to the Lady, now..."

"Indeed not."

"I'm getting..."_a bit out of breath, and my side hurts like Sokar's-_

_**Don't say it!**_

_Right._

There was a long silence of focusing simply on breathing. Then the sound of someone coming past, very, very close by, made Daelan stiffen. They needed to move. They needed to - a young woman appeared along a nearby deer trail, an inevitably, saw him. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she rushed to his side, pulling out what appeared to be a communication device of some sort.

"What on earth happened? I'll call 911! Oh my..." She was looking at his tunic and pants, which were now quite saturated with blood, as was the ground beneath, which she thankfully could not see. He wrapped a hand around her wrist and tightened it firmly, halting her call.

"No..." Andurek said urgently, "Don't call anyone else to this place. I am dying now. You must take Daelan."

His dark eyes looked at her imploringly, but were only met with confusion.

"Daelan? What?"

"My...symbiote." He said. When that obviously did not mean anything to her, he tried to explain, releasing her wrist and waving the hand weakly at the back of his neck.

"He's at the...uh...back of..." he indicated the given area before letting his arm flop to the ground, "He usually keeps my body in pretty good shape, but this..." he started laughing, but it was a hoarse laugh which led directly into a small bout of coughing, and a little trickle of blood collected at the side of his mouth.

"Anyhow, he's not from this planet, wherever here is, so none of his kin will be showing up...you've got to be the next host or he'll die..."

If possible, the wide-eyed look she sported earlier had gotten wider, although now a hint of skepticism was showing. There was a possibility the man was crazy, or it could be he was simply hallucinating from blood loss and who-knows-what. She reached again for her phone, but his hand shot up, grasping her wrist almost painfully.

His eyes flashed. The girl nearly jumped out of her skin.

"I am Daelan," said the deeper voice of the symbiote, though if she had been familiar with such things, she would have recognized it as notably indistorted. Before she could put a word in, he went on. "Andurek is indeed dying. And I, too, shall die if I do not have another host. I have now let my friend sleep and dream sweet memories in his last hours."

"A-are you saying you aren't human?"

"I am a Tok'ra. Andurek is human, but I am not."

"But if I helped you, I would...save a life?"

"His cannot be saved at this point, but mine, yes."

"And if this is some sort of sick joke?"

Daelan gazed intensely at her from Andurek's dark eyes, his expression telling her all she needed to know. In a soft voice, he said,

"If I am not what I say, I will die within a few moments. If I am who I say, the same thing will happen. The only difference is that there might be a chance of saving me with the second option. It's up to you. I am prepared to die."

The shocked expression faded from the young woman's face, replaced with resolution.

"You are a living being, and if I'm going to just let you die then I'm not what my mother raised me to be." She knelt closer to him. "How do I...?" The question hung in the air. Daelan closed his eyes briefly and then said, opening them and looking straight at her,

"Kiss me. I will go into you." He smiled, remembering Andurek's reaction to that, so long ago, and added, "Don't try to think about it too much."

The girl seemed to be going over her options again, rethinking. It was understandable, but time was running out. Daelan could feel the heart slowing and felt as each bit of his host became numb and started to lose its life. His eyes had closed of their own accord, so it was unexpected to feel, for a brief second, her lips on Andurek's. He sent one last heartbroken goodbye to his friend as Andurek's spirit fled him and detached himself from his host.

And then, his world changed.


	2. Breakfast Is Served

**CHAPTER TWO: BREAKFAST IS SERVED**

Transitioning was cold, and it was not only because his body was unused to being in direct contact with air. The comforting presence of Andurek he had known for so long was replaced by another, new and unfamiliar, and absolutely terrified out of her wits. He hooked himself into her as to be unnoticeable, and immediately attempted to calm her nerves. He eased her body off of the adrenaline rush she was experiencing and spoke softly, saying that he would go to sleep now and let her adjust without imposing on her thoughts. It may not have been much, but it was all he could do before fading off into exhausted dormance.

Ellen staggered down to the parking lot in shocked silence and climbed into her truck. No sooner had the slightly battered pickup door closed her from the outer world than she slumped against the dashboard. She looked down at her hands and made the detached observation that they were shaking. Pressing her forehead against the cool glass of the side window, she closed her eyes.

A very loud and very large truck pulled into the parking space beside her, startling her out of her daze. Checking her watch, she realized she had been sitting there for nearly three hours. She needed to move to get back home before dark. She wearily pulled out her keys and started up the engine. One hand tenatively went up to touch the back of her neck, where she felt like there should be some sort of pressure, but wasn't. She shuddered, making her pickup jerk slightly as she forced her stomach to make peace with her racing imagination. The black Ford cruised out of the parking lot with a smoothness which belied the current turmoil in Ellen's mind.

_Why can't my vacations ever end normally?_ she wondered to herself. For the strangest reason, she had the urge to wait for a reply. Her pause was only met with silence, and she abruptly decided to turn on the radio. The oldies blared on the stereo as she tried to ignore the past five hours and focus on the road.

By the time she pulled up to her apartment it was completely dark outside save the glow of the streetlight and the 7-11 across the way. She shivered, stepping onto the pavement. She stopped to stare at the overcast sky for a moment before heading up the dark stairs. She took them slowly, savoring the heavy quiet which lay uncharacteristically across the complex. Faded shadows lay across the cracked sidewalk and darkened the worn steps, and her chilled fingers fumbled with her keys in the dark before finding the correct one.

It was no small relief to at last collapse onto the couch. She had only taken the time to tap up the heat before kicking off her shoes, and was asleep, jacket and all, as soon as she hit the pillows.

**Å**-

Daelan awoke to a shuffling sound nearby. Cautiously, he opened his new eyes and took in his surroundings. A modest prod at his sleeping host's memory told him that this was her home, and that the sound was most likely coming from her roommate. Morning light streamed through the slitted blinds, revealing a small lamp in one corner, a grey and brown box across from him, several potted plants, and the entrance a small enclave containing what was presumably the kitchen.

"Good morning there, sleepyhead!" A voice teased just out of sight. It was shortly joined by the cheery face of a petite young lady. When Daelan just sat there, blinking, she stepped over to him and began to haul his upright by one arm. He grudgingly got up from the warm couch and followed her into the kitchen.

"You got back late last night." She said, sounding quite concerned. "I hope you didn't run into any trouble this time. It seems your vacations never go right, so I made you some waffles just in case you needed cheering up." Daelan smiled tenatively, hoping that he wasn't behavior wasn't extremely far-fetched from his host. He hadn't really had a chance to speak to her yet.

As if thinking about her hit some hidden trigger, he could feel her waking. As she came to full awareness, he had to suppress a loud "Why am I standing in the kitchen?" It was immediately followed with internal panic.

_Why can't I speak? What's going on? Lanie, help!_

**_Quiet down, please! No one can hear you but me at the moment, and you're hurting my...your...ah, ears!_** She didn't listen, her silent protests now reaching a piercing height. Lanie gave her a sharp once-over.

"Ellen, are you feeling all right?" Daelan's eyes widened, and he quickly searched for an excuse to leave the room. Oh!

"I just, ah, need to go use the..." he searched Ellen for the right word, "...bathroom." He hurried out of the kitchen and quickly located the proper place, shutting the door firmly behind him and sitting wearily on the floor.

_**Okay, Ellen, now we can talk.**_

_WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? _She hollered. Daelan swore he heard echoes. Attempting to calm her down, he said,

_**If you will bring your voice to a lower level, I'll let you speak out loud, but I don't want your roommate thinking you have gone insane. Understand?**_

There was a very long pause before Daelan felt the silent touches of acquiescence. He let her have full motor control and sat back to talk.

**_Do you actually remember anything which happened back in the forest?_** He asked. She bit her lip and reluctantly memories began to surface. She remembered, and now that she did, she wasn't sure whether to be angry, frightened, or simply accepting of the fact. How would she deal with her family the same, her friends? She stared into the white linoleum as if it had all the answers.

Daelan let her think, then gingerly put in a comment.

**_Of course, if you have any extreme objection to my presence, I could..._** he halted. If he had been currently using her body, he would have been physically choking on the words. All things considered, he didn't want to die, but... **_I could...leave. I mean..._** despite his attempts to separate his thoughts from her own, she caught on to what he was implying and she swiftly covered her mouth, shaking her head firmly.

_No! It's very...strange, but kill you? I would label myself a traitor for giving you hope and then taking it away like that!_

**_But, _**Daelan asked her seriously, **_Do you believe that you made a wise decision in the first place? If you and I cannot co-exist, there is no point in life for either of us, but I shall be the one to go._**

But she had made up her mind. Although her hands were trembling from the excessive strain on her emotions, she slapped down the possibility. At that moment, the debate ended. Lanie was knocking at the door anxiously.

"Ellen? Your waffles are going to get cold if you don't hurry up. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Ellen called back, "Coming in a minute."

"And change out of those clothes, too. You slept in them."

"Yes, mom." Ellen murmured as she opened the bathroom door, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Lanie had made waffles? It sounded like just what she needed at the moment. She hoped they were chocolate chip.

_**I don't like chocolate.**_

Yes, she _very much_ hoped that they were chocolate chip.


	3. The Plot Gelatinates

**Many thanks to those of you who have reviewed the previous chapters. You've been a great source of encouragement, and I hope that the following lives up to your expectations. Song**

**CHAPTER THREE: THE PLOT GELATINATES**

They had both survived a trying breakfast, enduring a careful questioning from Lanie about Ellen's state of health both physically and mentally. For once out of the many return trips she had heard this same line of questioning, Ellen did not have any clear answers herself. She attempted to cover with humor and vague answers about the trip itself. Yes, the hotel had been nice. No, she had not met any nice young men. Yes, the food had been excellent, although perhaps not as good as the waffles seemed at the moment. They were used as a welcome excuse and left her mouth sufficiently full to avoid any uncomfortable questions.

It was a tremendous relief to at last close the apartment door behind her. Daelan was carefully taking in the old chipped stairway and stunted shrubs along the walkway. So far, so good. There was a thankful mental silence between them both, simply looking into the thin mist clutching to the buildings and trees. Ellen took a deep breath and walked casually to her truck, aware that Lanie was still watching her go from the living room window.

As they pulled onto the highway, Daelan finally broke the silence.

**_Where are we going?_** He wondered. Ellen raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"You have to ask?"

_**Well, it's rather rude to just poke in and find out, don't you think?**_

Ellen considered that one, actually being extremely relieved once again to know he had some respect for her privacy. In fact, she was beginning to get the impression that he was quite terrified of earning her disapproval. He _wanted_ her to like him. It wasn't just a necessity of keeping one's sanity, but he wanted to be...

Partners wasn't the right word, or even friends. Spouses? She could feel an internal giggle which was not entirely her own at the mention of that one. What, then?

**_Soulbound..._** Daelan mused, not even seeming to realize that the comment had been audible to his host. She smiled, though, and he came back to the present conversation with an emotion which could only be described as bashfulness.

_**I didn't mean to quite say that...up front. My apologies.**_

_No! I like it. It sounds all nice and cliché-ly poetic._

_**From what I know of your language, cliché-ly isn't a word.**_

_Oh, shut up, my dear, sweet, ever-so-tactful voice-in-my-head. I'm going to run into that truck if you aren't quiet._

The two of them lapsed into silence once again, but the atmosphere in the small vehicle had notably relaxed in the past few moments.

-**Å**-

"Time!" Ellen scribbled off the final sentence and dropped her pencil to the desk. Mr. Jennings came around and picked up our history exams, and she was hard put to hold back an evil grin. She succeeded, but only barely. By the time the class was over, the student seated beside her was giving her some very strange looks.

Heading out across the campus, Ellen paused and allowed Daelan to get a good look around. He was continually remarking on the immense amount of green scattered about, anything from the lawns to the tall trees.

_**We never had much greenery where I came from. The council always picked places no one would think to look, which usually meant barren, rocky, and overall miserable.**_

_I'm glad you're here to see this, then._ Ellen answered quietly, smiling. The smile changed into that evil grin which had been aching to come out. _Oh, and thanks for the insight on ancient history._ Daelan snorted and hoisted her backpack into a more comfortable position, setting a stride towards the library.

**_Insight! I lived it, dear._** Ellen rolled her eyes and continued to grin widely. They stopped and got coffee, although Ellen skipped the chocolate at Daelan's request. She made it quite clear that he would have to get over that particular dislike, however. Being an intense late-night studier resulted in practically living off of coffee and chocolate bars. Only Lanie's cooking and insistance that she eat one solid meal a day had kept her alive, Daelan was sure.

Ellen plopped down at her usual spot, a small table in the back corner, cut off from most of the usual bustle by a wall of bookshelves. She was just pulling out her biology book when someone else sat down across from her. She tried to ignore it, but a moment later there were fingers in her hair, twirling it around into brown ringlets.

"A-hem." A voice called a touch too loudly for inside a library. Ellen frowned and reluctantly closed her book.

"Mark, quit messing with my hair. It's tangled enough as it is." She sighed, caught between annoyance and amusement that he'd found her here. Mark came back around the table and sat down across from her once again, expression completely neutral despite the fact that he'd just been far closer to her than he probably should have been. Ellen pushed her book to one side and leaned onto the table.

"Was there something you needed?" She asked testily. Mark was an okay guy. She'd run into him when she first started going to school here, and at first they'd hit it off rather well. The problem was, Mark had a tendency to attract trouble. He almost never was the trouble, but it just seemed to happen wherever he was. After breaking her wrist in a car crash with him, having her and Lanie's apartment broken into while he was staying there, and surviving a fire to a building they were in together, she decided he was officially dangerous. Not to mention the various times they'd gone camping, all of which ended in some rather spectacular disasters.

It didn't look like anything hectic was scheduled for today, however. Mark didn't look like his energetic self. He looked tired in a way that she hadn't seen him before. Her tone instantly changed.

"Mark...are you feeling okay? You look a bit under the weather." He obviously noticed the change, a slight grin lighting up his brown eyes for a moment. He leaned back in his chair.

"I'm fine. 'S just...a friend of mine's been missing for years now. Clean off the globe, if you know what I mean. I'm a bit worried he's gone and gotten himself killed or something."

Ellen gave him a hard look. He didn't look like he was speculating. She'd seen him after his grandma'd died, and he had that same look on his face. He _knew_ that his friend had died, whoever that might be, and she wondered why he wasn't telling her straight out.

"Mark."

"Yeah?"

"Don't give me that. What happened to him?"

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Mark!" She gave him a sharp glare, and he stared guiltily at his hands. Got him. He sat like that for a couple more minutes and then grinned a bit.

"I guess it's kinda stupid. Coming to talk to you and then...not talking to you. I guess I just figured you had enough of your own problems..."

_Don't I know it. _Ellen thought, poking Daelan mentally. He nudged her back towards the conversation at hand with an indignant,

_**I am not a problem!**_

_Ha, ha._

"Anyway, he's another one of my weird friends. Well-educated, but weird. He even wrote some pretty detailed papers on how the pyramids were alien landing pads...you get the idea. I got ahold of the news that he died, like, five years ago or something. So...that's it. I never heard about it, either. I mean, that, and then my sister calling me in the middle of the night with bad dreams. Yeesh. She needs to stop watching the news."

Daelan and Ellen exchanged matching feelings of trepidation. It was a bit silly, since Ellen knew that Mark's sister was always having nightmares about nasty things that happened in the news, but they had to ask.

"What...happened on the news this time?" Ellen could hear the answer coming before he even spoke, but still was hard put to suppress a wince.

"There was a murder in some state park or other, I didn't hear. You know Anna, though. She freaked out when the Air Force sealed it off for some reason. Don't know what they'd want with it. She's paranoid - probably thinks it's some big government experiment that'll blow us all to pieces."

Ellen didn't know what to say to that, and would have frozen up if Daelan hadn't temporarily taken control. He rolled his eyes appropriately and gave Mark a weak smile. Ellen mentally shook herself, coming back with a contemplating expression.

"Actually, I think I drove past just the place on my home. I didn't see anything particularly strange." She checked her watch and feigned surprise. "Yikes! I need to get going. If you need to talk some more later, how about lunch? You know where I'll be."

She quickly packed up her books and put on a quick step as she left the library. As soon as she was out of sight, however, she sunk down with her back to one of the large oak trees lining the sidewalk.

_This is very bad._

_**No, really? And if the ship didn't entirely burn up in the crash...**_

_You left a blinkin' ship out there? What if someone tracks us down? We could become...lab rats or something!_

Ellen closed her eyes in frustration. She seemed to be doing a lot of that today. Then a thought hit her. Well, actually, it was one of Daelan's thoughts. It just happened to be one he wasn't using at the moment. She suddenly remembered acutely the sight of a giant pyramid-shaped spacecraft setting down on a -

"Daelan!" she said suddenly, her eyes flicking open. Thankfully, no one was close enough to hear at the moment, but she still blushed at speaking out loud.

_Do you remember what Mark said about his missing friend? About pyramids being landing pads and all that?_

_**Yes...oh! Of course! Do you really think that he'd believe us, though? And that's assuming he's still alive.**_

_Mark seemed pretty sure that he was gone, but we could at least try and track down anything he might have written about it. Maybe there's more of your kind around here that we just didn't know about. _

**_Good idea_**, Daelan consented, **_How about we check that out right now, if we can...?_**

_Sure, I'll start by checking online. You can find absolutely anything online. _ With a grim smile and a plan, she shouldered her backpack and marched off.


	4. Sandwichside Ponderings

**CHAPTER FOUR: SANDWICHSIDE PONDERINGS**

After an hour or so of searching high and low, Ellen managed to pull up a few articles about the strange theory. The only problem was, it wasn't a theory. She'd _seen_ pyramid-like structures used for just that purpose more times than she could count. Well, Daelan had anyhow. For all points and purposes, she had as well.

_Hey now, take a look at this._ She pulled up another article. It was an excerpt from an essay on the subject by a Dr. Daniel Jackson. _It seems our man has a name._

**_You could have just asked Mark_**, Daelan remarked dryly. Ellen made a face.

_Oh, shut up. Besides, now we have a better idea of what this Dr. Jackson knows...or thinks he knows._ She tapped the articles she had printed out into a neat stack and stuck it in her backpack with everything else. A quick glance at her watch made her eyes widen in surprise.

"Dang! It's almost 12:00!" _I've got to go meet Mark. You can take us if you like - go ahead and take a look at where to go._

Daelan let out a long sigh and stood, looking around. He'd seen the building already, but it always felt different to look at things himself. He would have stood there taking in his surroundings for some time had Ellen not prodded him on.

As they strode quickly toward the designated meeting place, Daelan noticed not for the first time the surprising lightness he was able to incorporate into his step. He had not had such a small host since Ha'nyyah at his first blending. Daelan thoughtfully noted that while, if he stayed on this planet, stealth would not be so vital, it would be much easier to teach Ellen than many of the others. Just to practice, he carefully changed his walk so that the gravel beneath Ellen's feet no longer crunched with each step. A small grin began to take hold as he picked up the pace, still attempting to maintain the silent tread. He could feel Ellen's attention on him, watching and feeling the movements with studious care.

He finally slowed the pace as they came back onto the paved area and walked across the way to a small café. He wondered why they hadn't simply gone to the food court near the library, but Ellen instantly, and rather loudly, insisted that the food there was no good and the prices outrageous. Daelan suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, and couldn't quite do it, so control was quickly handed back to Ellen.

She opened the door, a smile of pleasure lighting up her face at the sound of the jingle bells. She took a step to one side to allow a small group of freshmen out the door and turned toward the counter.

_Ahem. So...what do you feel in the mood for? Soup? Salad? Sandwich?_ She scanned over the menu and paused on the soups section. Daelan gave a mildly wistful comment.

_**What I wouldn't give for one of those wonderful stews Andy used to make.**_

_Soup, then?_

**_All the soups on the menu have onions in them. _**The statement was made with obvious distaste. Ellen made a face.

_Don't tell me you don't like onions either? Good grief, first chocolate, then coffee...is there anything you like?_

There was a pause before he answered in a slightly sheepish tone, knowing beforehand what kind of reaction he would get.

_**Fish is good.**_

_That is it. _Ellen growled._ We are having a BLT and no complaints. Got it?_ He didn't answer directly, but whether or not he was happy with the idea would not have effected her decision anyhow. She was already ordering. For a fleeting moment Daelan wished he could just take over long enough to order something he recognized, but threw the thought aside with a resigned air. His principles compromised over a sandwich. What would his fellows say?

They sat down at a two-person table in the far corner and waited. After a few moments of boredom Daelan's thoughts began to wander. He brought up sharp memories of various times he'd seen a Chappa'ai activate. As one of the youngest of the Tok'ra, he had a way of looking at things which was not necessarily shared by his elders. One example of this would be that he enjoyed watching the wormhole stabilize more than the practical use of the device. It really was quite spectacular, spinning to one side and seeming to collapse in on itself and burst out the other side before solidifying into a wall of energy.

He was so lost in his musings that he didn't even realize when the food came, nor when Mark walked in the doors and spotted Ellen, sitting down across from her. She herself was quite distracted by her symbiote's memories. It wasn't until Mark spoke that either of them even fully registered his arrival.

"How ya doin'?"

Daelan jerked out of his reverie and Ellen twitched slightly, at last focusing on the young man sitting across from her.

"Oh! I...I'm just fine. Thanks. I went online and...researched your friend."

**_Smooth._** Daelan said wryly. **_Stay calm. He doesn't know anything._**

Mark's expression darkened and he looked down at his hands. Ellen could have slapped herself. No tact. Whatsoever.

When it was obvious Mark wasn't going to say anything, she went on.

"He seemed like a really interesting person. I wish I could've met him...I like his theories. They actually do make sense, kind of."

Mark was silent, refusing to meet her eyes. Ellen sank back and let Daelan take temporary control as she internally took out her frustration and dejection at the lack of response. The Tok'ra pondered how he should continue the conversation. Neither party said a word for several dragging moments.

"Did you actually see the body?" Mark's head snapped up with surprise at the unexpected question.

"What?"

"Did you actually see the body?" Daelan repeated persistantly, "You don't know for sure that he's dead unless you've seen the body." Mark gave a dry laugh, almost, but not quite, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, right. Like I get this letter with all the details and it's a fake. Why on Earth would anyone want to make me think some eccentric archaeologist I haven't seen for years died in an accident...if it wasn't true?"

Daelan looked down and absently began twirling a fork between his fingers.

"Still, you can never be sure. I've seen some pretty amazing -" he halted and tripped over his next words, "- amazing things happen around...here..."

_Amazing WHAT?_

_**What?**_

_You were going to say resurrections. Amazing resurrections! What the hell? _

_**Can we discuss this at a later date?**_

"Ellen...what exactly makes you think that there is _anything_ strange going on? Why, for that matter, are you so suddenly interested in a random friend of mine? A random, _dead_, friend of mine."

Ellen found control forced upon her once again, as much as she suddenly wanted to escape the responsibility for this conversation. She licked her lips and took a breath as if to say something, then let is out in a slow sigh. Then a resolve began forming in her mind. Her gaze was intense as she leaned forward slightly.

"Mark, I need to talk to you about something, but it'll have to be somewhere else. It's important, and...Lanie won't be around tonight, so how about you come over to my place. And...I'd like to see the letter, too." Mark's brown eyes narrowed.

"Why -" she cut him off.

"Have you ever had a feeling that made no logical sense whatsoever, and then turned out to be _right_?" Silence met her in response, but her friend gave her a reluctant nod. Ellen smiled and stood to leave.

"I'll explain everything, I hope, later. Mark, I think he's alive." And with that, she simply left.

Mark stared after her blankly, feeling strangely trepeditious about the coming evening. The other customers at the little café ignored him, their casual chatter closing in around him and yet ignoring him completely. Only one thought broke the emptiness of his thoughts.

_I think he's alive too._


End file.
